Spectacle frame



June 27, 1933. I wlNGATE Q 1,915,707.

7 SPECTACLE FRAME Filed March 28, 1929 w m z/vme 6/1 W/A/aA 7'5 Patented 27, 1933 UNITED [sures PATENT- OFFICE" ennui) mar mean, or Lennon, momma I mach: m1:

Applicatlenfled larch 28, 1B0 Io. 850,735, and in Great Britain Dotober i0, This invention relates to folding spectacles and-has for its principal object to provide spectacles which are neat in appearance and comfortable to wear, and at. the same time can be folded away into a particularly compact form. v I Other objects are to enable eyes of tortoise-shell or other non-metallic material to be pivotally attached to a bridge in a durable manner, to shape the e es in a manner giving a firm seating upon t e wearers face, to provide in folding spectaclessides ada ted ,to gri the wearer slightly without 1stortion of the main part of the frames, and generally to provide the novel combinations, arrangements and features embodied in the preferred forms which it is now proposed to describe in order to render the nature of the invention clear. v

These preferred forms are illustrated by the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a frontview of a Fair of spectacles,

Fig. 2 is a plan view 0 the same, a

Fig. 3 is a back view of the same folded,

8 Fig. 4 is a view of the parts as shown at 'Fig. 3 when viewed from the right,

Fig. 5 is asimilar view when viewed the left.

Fig. 6 a detail of the eyes other figures.

As illustrated the eyes 1, 2 of the spectacles are pivotal connected to the forks 3, 4 formed at t e ends .of a bridge 5 of sim le curvature. The bridge 5 1s prefera ly slightly springy. It is to be observed that the forks are slightly offset relativelg to one another so as to ring the plane of of the eye 1 substantially into that of the back of t e eye 2. An abutment 6 upon each eye bears upon the bridge just above the fork when theesipectacles are open. The sides 7 are pivo I to the eyes and in addition at a proximately their centres each side has a. hinge joint 8, the hinge bein below so that; the severed ends of the sidesa ut when open, the sides being thus formed of two limbs .7 and 7.

The material of the eyes is widened at 9, 9 and may be roughened slightly as indicated.

from

shown in the as The margins o the eyes are in this way caused to continue to converge considerably above the'centres of the-lenses so as to rest or lightly upon the nose of the wearer. fi ill be understood thatwhen in the open when lying e front mal. ap arance, but that when they are closed t 0 two e es lie one directly upon the other, and the olded sides are not substantially longer than the eye 1 against which they lie. It is desirable that the attachment of theside to one of the eyes should leave sufficient space for the other eye when folded so that both the sides lie at substantially the the same level upon thetog of the last named For this pu ose t e hinge 11 is set set back from the eye 2.

It will be understood that where tortoiseshell or other light non-metallic material is used for the eyes it is undesirable to subject it to the wear caused by relative rotation eye. c osely to the eye 1, at hinge 12 is sufiiciently against the metal forks. To avoid this the Qffthe spectacles, each folded side must lie m a lane above the center of-its own e e. That is to say, the folding joint of eachside against its own eye must be in such relatlon to the pivot between that eye and the bridge that no part of the folding joint lies at a greater pe ndicular. distance from the center of that pivot than a distance equalinghalf thele hof the bridge. When thus arranged and 'e spectacles are folded,

hole formed the pivoted joints are all the sides each lie upon op osite sides of a center line drawn through bridge. This is prefera 1y accomplished by making each of the sides 'lie' across its own eye at an upward inclination from the piv otal connection of that side to the eye.

cla1m: 1. In a pair of foldable spectacles, a brid e, eyes Hivoted to said bridge on substantially P e middle of the el axes so that the frontof one eye when folded lies substantially in the plane of the back of the other, means to limit upward movement of said eyes relatively to said bridge and sides pivoted to said eyes and rovid themselves with twolimbs joined by pivot joints adapted to limit the u .ward

movement of the outer limbs and w ereon l I in bein arran fold g ge they are foldable in a mi .rtially vertical plane, so that the spectacles when folded lie substantiahy within the thichess of the two eyes plus thatjofonelimb of the said sides, t e second limb of each of the said sides 1 ing alongside and substantially within t e thickness of the first limb.

2. In a air of spectacles according to claim 1, an 'havin non-metallic eyes, metallic pieces iovably fixed relatively to the material of the eyes and afiording metallic bearing surfaces at the pivotal joints between the bridge and the eyes. a

3.- In folding spectacles a hrid piece, eyes connected to the bridge piece on substantially parallel pivots, the pivotal mountto cause the eyes when ing to move 1n relativel odset planes to arrange the eyes when folde one un ediatel in rear of the other, sides pivotally connecte ii to the eyes and each including a section next the eye and an outer section ioldable with substantially para el with that oil-t respect tothe. first mentioned section into a position beneath and in substantially vertical alignment with the first mentioned section, the connection of one ofthe sides to its eye being spaced farther from the eye than the connection of the other section to its eye, whereby when the eyes are folded the pivotal supports of the sides to the respective folded eyes is substantially in a sin is plane parallel to and spaced from one of t e eyes whereby to permit both folded sections to tbld down onto the adjacent e e and into a sin is plane e eye on which they are folded.

- d. Foldm spectacles including a substantially rigid ridge a pair of eyes coected to the brid on su stantially parallel pivots, the ivotal mounting causing the eyes when foldmg to move in adjacent, substantially odset planes whereby the eyes when folded are arranged one in rear of the other in substantial coincidence, sides pivotally connec to the respective eyes, each. side including an outer section movably connected for fielding beneath and into a substantially vertical plane with the remaining ortion of the side, the

ivotal connection o? one side to its eye bemg s need from the e e a distance exceeding the slmilar spacing o the other side with relation to its eye by the thiclmem of one of the eyes, whereby when the eyes are folded the pivotal connections of the sides to the e es are in substantially the e plane at lel to the plane of that eye Myond which 1% sides project, whereby to permit the sides to fold down equally and in substantially parallel relation onto the adjacent eye.

5. ln a pair of toldable stacles, a bridge, eyes pivotally connected to said bridge and moving when folding in suntially parallel planes, with the front of one eye in substantially the plane of the back of the other, sides pivotally conned to the eyes and each retard? made up of two ioldable sections, the ions being connected for folding to di 1:"; sections one above the other, one of -the sides being pivotally connected comparatively close to one eye, the other of the sides being piv' otally connected to the other eye and Spa 21' therefrom in its ivotal mountin a'distance substantial y equalin the *l'a ess of the first mentioned e e, w ereby when the eyes are folded the p ane including the ivots of the sides is substantially paralle to the plane of the ad'acent eye to thereby pertwo foldable sections, the sections being connected for folding to dispose the sections one above the other, one of the sides being pivotally connected comparatively close to one eye, the other of the sides'being pivotah ly connected to the other eye and spaced theretrom in its pivotal mountin by a didance sumtantially equaling the t ics of the first mentioned eye, whereby when the eyes are folded the plane including the pivots of the sides is substantially parallel to the plane of the adjacent eye to thereby rmit the sides to fold down upon said eye in substantially parallel planes.

7. Folding spectacles including a brid iece, eyes, pivots uniting the eyes to ridge iece, the pivotal connection between the brige piece and eyes compelling the eyes when closed into restry by turning about the pivots to lie in ifierent parallel planes, with the back of one eye substantially in con-=- tact with the front of the other eye, sides pivotally connected to the eyes, the pivotal support of one of the sides being spaced from its eye a distance substantially correspond ing to the thickness of the other eye, whereby when the eyes are folded in super-imp contacting-relation, thesides ma both fold onto and in contact with one of t e eyes.

8. Folding spectacles includi a hrid e the ill-.

piece, eyes, pivots uniting the eyes to t e and in contact with one of the eyes, the pivotal connection of the respective sides compelling movement of a particular connected side ina direction upwardl from such pivotal connecwhen folded may lie si e by side on one of the to the thickness of the other (K's to permit both sides to be folded down at upon one of the eyes when the eyes are in folded relation, the folding plane of each side relative to its eye being upwardly from its pivotal connection to the eye toward the pivotal connection of that eye with the bridge piece, each side being made up of sections connected for folding vertically in the normal position of the spectacles to provide for the sections bemg arranged side by side when turned onto the folded eyes. 7

10. Folding spectacles including a brid e piece, eyes, pivots uniting the eyes to .t e

ridge iece, the pivotal connection between the bri ge piece and eyes compellin the eyes when closed into re stry by turning about the pivots to,lie in I ifi'erent parallel planes, with the back of one eye substantially 1n contact with the front of the other eye, sides connected to each eye, the folding plane of each side being u wardly from its pivotal connection towar the bridge, the pivotal support of one side relative to its eye being s aced from that eye a distance exceeding the similar spacing of the other pivotal connection between the side by a distance substantion toward the rid e, whereby the sides the pivots to lie in ifl'erent parallel planes,

with the back of one eye substantially in contact with the front of the other eye, sides pivotally. connected to the eyes, the" ivotal connection of the sides providing or the folding plane of the sides relative to the eye I 12. Folding spectacles including a bridge t e with the back of one eye substantially in' contact with the front of the other eye, sides pivotally connected to the eyes, the pivot mounting of each side being inclined with respect to the plane of the eye with which it is connected, the inclination of the pivot compelling the connected side when folded to move in a plane upwardly from its ivotal' connection toward the connection of at eye to the bridge, the pivotal mounting of one eye being spaced from the plane of that. e e a distance substantially equaling the thic ness of the other eye. 7 13. Foldingspectacles including a brid piece, eyes, pivots uniting the eyes to t e ridge iece, the pivotal connection between the bri ge lece and eyes compelling the eyes when close into re rybytu aboutthe pivots to'lie in di erent parallel p anes, with the back of one eye substantially in contact with the front of the other eye, sides pivotally connected to the eyes, the pivot mounting of each side being inclined with res t to the plane of the eye with which it is connected, the inclination of the pivot compelling the conneoted side when folded to move in a plane upwardly from its pivotal connec tion toward the connection of that eye to the bridge, the pivotal mounting of one eye being spaced from the plane of that e e a distance substantially equaling the thic ess of the other e e.

14. olding spectacles including a bridge piece, eyes pivoted to the bridge piece and foldable'relative thereto, with the back of one eye substantially in contactwith the front of the other when folded, a side ivoted to each eye, the pivotal mounting o the sides providing for foldin both sides substantialflat on one eye w on the eyes are folded, t e pivots of the sides being set so that the effective pivotal axis is outwardl inclined toward the top so that the side w en folded is compelled to overlie that area of the eye to which it is connected which is within a distance not eater than one-half of the length of the ridge iece from the pivotal connection between t e particular eye and the bridge piece,-the pivotal connections of the eyes to thebridge piece permitti the eyes to fold and reach substantial comcidence'before the pivots connecting the sides to the eyes are in contact.

15., Foldable ctacles according to claim 14, whenein e sides are made up of two limbs pivotally connected together.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

VGERALI) HENRY WINGATE. v

ge piece and: eyes compelling the eyes 

